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H. A. GBHRET.

GAR DOOR FASTENER.

No. 350,977. Patented Oet. 19, 1886.

Nv PETERS, Pxwwmhogmphu. wammgmn. n. c.

ilNrTnn STATES PATENT Ormea.

HERY A. GEHRET, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA., ASSIGNOR OF ON ILHALF TO VILLIAM F. MARKS, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-DOOR FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,977I dated October 19, 1886.

Application led January 18,1886. Serial No.18S,937. (No model.)

To all whom; it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HENRY A. Gnrinnm, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Beading, county ot' Berks, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in CanDoor Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains more particularly to a fastener for a sliding door ot' a freight- IO carer its equivalent.

The object of the invention is to furnish a lock that will be inexpensive and that will lock the door in a closed or fully-opened position or at any point desired intermediate thereto.

The great diiiiculty in freight transportation at the present time is to secure a positiveloek to the doors of the cars. In nearly every ease after the door is closed and the lock secured 2C thepreeaution is taken to insu re closure, of nailing strips of wood against the car with the edge of the strip in close contact with the edge ot' the door, the result of which is, that in ashort time the carsheathing next to the door is so completely eut up with nail-holes that it will no longer hold the blocks and must he renewed.

My improvement in fasteners positively secures the door in close contact with the closingstrip, and when so closed it cannot be disturbed, but will retain the door immovably in place. ,A

In the drawings herewith,forming a part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure l represents in side elevation a portion of a car with the sliding door closed, showing the improved fastener attached thereto. Fig. 2 represents the fastener detached from the car.

Fig. 3 represents'in plan andlongitudinal seetion the keeper-plate used in connection with the improved fastener, in all of which- A represents the body of the car, A, the closing-strip; A2, the sill; B, the guide-rail;

O,- the door-hangers; C, the anti-friction rollers; D, the door, andE the usual door-stop;

The fastener is composed of a body, F, with bearing portions F, and integral with the body a hasp-plate, G, with the usual staple-slot, G',

5C and at right angles to the same, upon the outer end of one of the bearings FQ a locking-arm,

H, of a length sufficient to reach from the outer face of the door, within the thickness of the ear-sheathing. The arm may be thickened at H to form a hub,and,if thought preferable, 5 may be fitted to the end F, and suitably secured thereto. I prefer, however, to have the body F, hasp G, and arm H cast or formed of suitable metal as one integral piece.

The keeper-plate K is made of suitable 6 length to admit the sweep ofthe arm H in its slot K, which is formed with parallel sidespand a concave base, thus preventing any accumulation of dirt or retention of water therein.

The pieces K are secured to the car-body at suitable points, indicated by the position it is desired the door shall assume during transit.

I usually place the fastener with the arm H in contact with the free edge of the door, as shown in Fig. l, and the keeper-plate K imnieo diately beneath the door-faee in linelwith the arm H. This arrangement brings the screws I72 partially beneath the door,and adds to thesecurity of the lock. I also place a keeper-plate near the stop E, and it' the goods carried in 75 the ear are of such nature as to require a free supply of air I place one or more of the keeper-plates intermediate to the outer ones. This enables me to lock the door close against the closing-strip A,or to lock it with an open- 8 ing between the strip and door of any width determined by the position of the keeperplates upon the side of the cars.

The fasteners may be secured to the doors by staples I, of the usual form, or the bearings F SD may be rested in special boxes adapted thereto. A staple, J, is secured to the door, so that when the hasp G is turned up (which action turns the arm H down into the keeper) the slot G,for1ned in said hasp,will engage the stag ple and permit the usual car-seal to be applied. The keeper-plate K may be made with any desired number of parallel slots for connection with the closed door,and it may be placed entirely behind the door, in which case the arm H would be made to play in a slot cut through the door.

I prefer the single-slot form and the outside connection, as shown.

I am aware that Patent No. 334,840, January 26,1SS6,was issued to A. B. Barnard for a 1 ear-door fastener in principle somewhat like my invention; but in this case the device is secured to the edge of the door with the 0perative `locking-arm hid beneath the same. My device, on the contrary, is applied to the face of the door` with all of its parts exposed for inspection. This arrangement permits of ready adjustment of parts to ineet changes ineidental to straining and distortions ot' cars. Outside of the functional duty of locking the door, the devices are dissimilar in application and construction.

Having described my fastener, and shown its use and advantages, I desire to secure by Letters Patent the following claims thereon:

l. In a car-door fastener, the combination, with a locking device composed of abody having a lockingarm at right angles thereto, and a slotted hasp 'formed integral therewith, of a the door, and composed of the body F, having arm H and slotted hasp G, substantially as shown, described, and for the purpose set forth.

HENRY A. GEHRET.

Vitnesses: i

HOWARD l?. WANNER, A. P. WANNER. 

